


A Good Thing

by Caylyn21



Category: Venom (Movie 2018)
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Fluff, Gen, Gender-Neutral Venom Symbiote (Marvel), Love Confessions, Pet Names
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-14
Updated: 2020-10-14
Packaged: 2021-03-09 02:07:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,892
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27007087
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Caylyn21/pseuds/Caylyn21
Summary: Venom gets burnt up in the fire, or so they thought. Eddie is distraught at the loss of his little goo friend. Venom has to find their way back to their host. Maybe Venom's in love. Maybe Eddie's in love too. Lots of pet names and a talk about what they mean
Relationships: Eddie Brock & Venom Symbiote, Eddie Brock/Venom Symbiote
Comments: 9
Kudos: 177





	1. Alone

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fanfiction so please be gentle. I kinda rushed it so keep that in mind. Gender-neutral pronouns for Venom

His throat was rough from screaming as Anne pulled him out of the water and onto the dock.  
“Eddie, oh my God! What happened”, she said, breathless.  
He’d barely registered her voice. “Venom”, he replied. He couldn’t say much else as he looked frantically around for a sign that they were still alive.  
The sound of ambulance sirens grew louder as he sat in Anne’s arms shaking. “Venom”, he repeated.  
“Shhh”, Anne cooed, “it’s over now. You’re safe”.  
But they’re not safe. They’re gone.

He was stripped from his soaking clothes and put into a hospital gown. He laid in a bed awaiting results from tests he didn’t want but Dan insisted on giving him. Anne was sitting at his bedside not saying anything but just being there. He was grateful for her presence but at the same time, he just wished he could be by himself to let his mind catch up with everything. Although he had only had a few days with Venom, it felt like a lifetime. How would one even go about continuing on as if nothing happened after sharing your body like that?

Policemen had come in to talk to him, but he wasn’t saying anything. They prodded him with questions he couldn’t even begin to answer. Why was Drake on the rocket? Why was he at the Life Foundation? What was that black thing onlookers saw falling from the sky? That last one crossed a line. Little do they know that ‘thing’ saved them all. He deadpan stared at them, they were getting nothing out of him. After a frustrating half hour of evdaving questions, Dan rescued him from the fray, escorting the officers out while making excuses for him. Something about his stress levels. 

“Well, everything looks normal”, Dan said, looking over his charts.  
Normal. He internally scoffed. Nothing about this situation is normal.  
“As normal as to be expected, that is. After…”, Dan didn’t want to say it, so he didn’t. Dan is good like that.  
“You’re free to go. But I’ll be checking in on you”  
“And so will I”, Anne interjected. “Just take it easy”. She rested her hand on his shoulder in that calming way she does.  
“Thanks”, he managed to mutter.

The cab ride was lonely. He had no one to talk to. For the first time in days, his head was empty of all but himself. He was dreading the moment he knew was coming, being alone in his apartment. At least outside there were other people, white noise, and busyness to keep his mind from slipping off the deep end. In his apartment, there was going to be nothing but him and the ghost of whatever Venom left behind. 

He dragged his feet up the stairs as if they were made of lead, but eventually found his way to his door. It was somehow even sadder than he remembered. Barren of life, unless you count the browning plant on his window sill. Empty of any happiness but full of memories of things he both wished he could forget, yet wouldn’t give up for the world. Memories of Venom. A phantom, but here at the same time. The widow was shattered from when they threw a Life Foundation guard through it. Now-soggy tater tots were on the ground from when he gouged on them. He pushed past the doorway and made his way to his bed. Sleep. He thought. Sleep fixes everything. 

The night was the hardest, as he expected. He actually found himself missing that ridiculous metal-head’s eardrum-shattering noise. Anything was better than this silence. His mind wouldn’t quiet down though. The events of the evening all replayed like a particularly depressing movie. Venom was a hero. If he tried hard enough he could imagine the black sheets were Venom, and he was merely being piloted by them. He wrapped his blanket tighter around him, burying his face in the fabric, and cried. 

The morning wasn’t much better, but he woke up with a tiny twinge of hope that last night was just a nightmare, which was a nice few seconds. However after the absence of a booming “HUNGRY”, he was unfortunately reminded that he was alone. He stayed in bed well past the point that’s socially acceptable. It’s a good thing there’s no one around to embarrass him for it. However, the eventual pang of hunger hit him harder than he could ignore, so he begrudgingly made his way to the kitchen. Even the simple act of eating reminded him of Venom. It was a pain to keep his food down, almost sobbing every time he took a bite. 

A knock came on the door and he froze.  
Please. He thought as he slowly approached the handle. Please be them.  
Oh. He thought as he opened the door. It was Anne and Dan. Wrong them.  
“Hi Eddie”, Anne said carefully as if talking to a scared deer. She was well put together, must’ve just come from work. He was suddenly self-conscious about how terrible he must look. Still in the same sweat-soaked grey sweatshirt as days before and much stained jogging pants. He just couldn’t find it in him to care enough to change.  
He realized he’s kept them waiting a rude amount of time and invited them in.

Looking around his apartment, company probably wasn’t the best call but after all they’ve done for him, it’s not like he could turn them away.  
“So what are you guys up to”, he says. It sounds forced. It is.  
“We told you we were going to check in on you”, Anne says making her way to the couch and sitting on the very edge. It was quite a dirty couch. “And here, we brought you some dinner. Thought you might not feel like cooking”. She handed him a dish of some kind of casserole.  
“Thank you”, he smiled tightly. He didn’t want to make them feel unwelcome, but he just didn’t have the energy to entertain anyone.  
“So Eddie”, Dan says, “how are you feeling? Any nausea, fatigue?”  
“Dan”, Anne warns.  
“Sorry. Right. I’m not here as a doctor”.  
“It’s fine”, Eddie says, “And yeah fatigue. Hella fatigue”.  
“It’s to be expected. Just monitor your mental state. Try meditating”.  
“You sound like Mrs. Chen”  
They look at him in confusion.  
“Nevermind. Listen, guys, it’s not that I’m not grateful but-”  
“You want to be alone”, Anne finishes for him.  
He nods.  
“Yes well, alright. But just remember that we’re here okay?”  
He escorts them out leaving him alone again. This is good, he thought. This is what he wanted. To be by himself. He wouldn’t let himself think of what he really wanted, because if he did, he wouldn’t stop until he spiraled into a sadness so deep, nothing would pull him out. That’s a rabbit hole he’s had experience with, and not one he wanted to go down again. Especially because the only one who he knew could save him if he did, was gone. 

Rasping at the door again woke him up.  
Must’ve cried myself to sleep, he thought, how on-brand.  
More rasping and he groaned. He really wished Anne would just let up for a while. But he knew when she laid it on, she laid it on thick. It must be 3 in the morning. Maybe it was Dan, worried he wasn’t sleeping.

He begrudgingly crawled out from under the thick covers he was under to go tell Anne off.  
“Look Anne”, he began, but there was nothing at the door.  
I’m going crazy. This is it. I’m actually going crazy.  
He was about to go have mental breakdown number 25 when he heard cooing.

A pigeon?


	2. Pain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Venom's POV

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I originally had thoughts in italics and Venom's dialogue in bold but it undid it when I posted it on here and since I've never posted here before and idk how to fix it. Hopefully it still makes sense

Searing, white-hot, fire burned their inky flesh. They tried to shriek but nothing came out. This was nothing like the pain of sound, this was ten times worse. They’re dying. But it’s okay, Eddie is safe now, so it’s okay. They heard him splash into the water below. Humans can survive in water, they were sure of this. Eddie can survive anything. He is a good host, a strong host. Their host. Blackness that wasn’t their own began spotting their vision. Goodbye Eddie, they thought. The fire consuming every last of their being.

Or so they thought.

Instead of burning in a fiery agonizing death, they too fell into the water below. The cool, gentle waves are a welcome contrast from the heat. They were small, way too much of them had seared off in the flames. They sank to the bottom, the darkness calming their nerves. They floated in the water for a while, entranced by the soft sounds it made until a shrill sound perked them up again. They recognized the sound as the human transporting vehicle they saw on the television, it carried the injured to a place they could get fixed.  
Eddie, they thought. Without their help, Eddie must be in pain. They made their way back to the surface and oozed onto the platform as fast as their fragile form would allow. But they were too late, the vehicle was already moving away. They were much too weak to follow it. They had to find a host to latch onto, to get stronger. A rat scurried its way across the platform and Venom took refuge in it.  
Don’t worry Eddie, we are coming.

The rat is much more difficult to maneuver than any human. Too small. The legs are impractical. It is taking way too long to reach the building with all the sick people, but Eddie must be here. They make it to the front of the building, but the people start to scream and run away from them. This is strange. The little rat is far less intimidating than their true form, and they are acting as if it can hurt them, though, with Venom inside of it, it can. The yappy dog from before comes into view on the second floor, and they decide to shed and eat the rat and overtake the dog instead.  
Not as good as humans, but food is food, Venom thought as they slurped the rat up in one. It made them feel stronger, strong enough to overtake the dog anyway. 

Third floor and still no Eddie. This was getting worrying. Did humans not survive in water like they thought? They dare not let that thought go far. If Eddie wasn’t okay then all of this was for nothing. But they did see Annie talking with her doctor boyfriend, and that’s something. They liked Annie. Venom caught a glimpse of what they were saying. They had just missed him.  
Off to his apartment then, Venom decided. 

Once out of the hospital they took the dog down the sidewalk for a while, but it wasn’t a very good host and started to fight them. They shedded the dog, but decided against eating it, they thought Eddie wouldn’t like that very much. They oozed along the sidewalk for a while looking for another host, it was dark so the humans couldn’t see them. It was getting cold, and without the heat or oxygen filters of a host, they were getting weaker. And Hungry. So very hungry.  
They made their way to an alley where they were hoping to find some more rats. Not the best hosts but they were something, and they were also food. But the alley was empty. Venom wasn’t one to get scared often, but they were beginning to have trouble moving. They can’t give up, they need to get back to Eddie. 

They curled up beside the dumpster, hoping the shelter would fight off some of their chill.  
Eddie, they thought as the oxygen was making its way through their form. Their breathing was getting rough. Their eyes dropped into thin slits, becoming increasingly hard to keep them open. 

An engine revved past them, perking them up once more. A motorcycle skirted past, turning the corner.  
Eddie, they thought again. They had ridden a motorcycle together. They were going to get back to him. They had to.

Venom slowly oozed away from the dumpster and again onto the sidewalk.  
Not too far now. I’m coming, Eddie.  
It was like a brick was tied to them, keeping them at a speed akin to molasses. They eventually made it to the corner, they recognized the street. Venom, still writhing on the sidewalk at what must now be well past midnight, heard clicking of what sounded like nails, from just behind them.  
Finally, they thought. A host. Though weak, they were able to overtake the bird rather easily. Such useless creatures, but a host is a host. 

Now properly filtering oxygen, it was as if the brick had been cut loose and replaced with a large stone. They’ll take upgrades where they can get them. They tried utilizing the bird's wings but to no avail. Too weak to fly. They didn’t mind walking though, with each step they were getting closer to Eddie. Closer to home. 

They could hardly believe their eyes. After all the trouble, there it was, Eddie’s building. Their home. Now building up speed, they could feel their wings beginning to work, and flew up through the nearest open window. 

Eddie, Eddie, Eddie, Eddie, Eddie, Eddie.  
They flew up the stairs causing a woman to scream and nearly fall. But they didn’t care, they just needed Eddie.  
His door.  
Venom was practically sobbing as he approached the beat-up door and scratched at it with all the might they could muster in their weakest state and less-than-ideal host.  
Why isn’t he answering?  
They scratched at the door again, this time louder, and as aggressive as possible.  
Eddie.

The door finally opened, and he’s as perfect as they remember. Yes, it has only been a little over a day, but any time away from their Eddie is too long.

“What the hell?”  
They heard him say.  
Oh yes, he doesn’t know it’s us.  
Inky black tendrils slowly creeped out of the pigeon, the creature and circling around Eddie’s ankles.  
“Venom?”, he said. His voice sounded rough, quiet, not like him at all.

The symbiosis started, Venom became one again with their Eddie. The familiar feel of tendrils melding to nerves had them both release a breath they didn’t even know they were holding in.  
“Eddie”, they said. “We’ve missed us”.  
“I missed us too, buddy”, said Eddie, one the verge of a sob.


	3. Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eddie's POV. Fluff and pet names

“Why are you sad”, they asked, a small tendril sneaking up the side of his face to wipe a tear.  
“I’m not sad. These are happy tears. Really happy tears. Oh god Vee, I thought you died”  
“So did we, but we didn’t. We have been trying to find you”.  
Eddie slunk down on the couch and put a hand to his chest where Venom sat swirling, beneath his skin.   
“I’m here. You’re here.”  
“Yes”, Venom said.  
There they sat, Eddie, rubbing his chest and Venom just basking in the glow of their perfect host being with them again.

Laying in bed, beneath the thick covers, it feels less like a weight as it did before, and more like a comfy pressure, holding him in place, exactly where he needs to be.   
“What happened to you Vee?”, Eddie finally asked. He was scared of the answer but wanted to understand.  
“Many things. But none as awful as losing you”.  
“Oh, Vee”  
“We ate a rat”  
“What?”, he chuckled. The first real laugh he’s had in days.  
“We were hungry and weak, so we ate a rat. It was disgusting, such vile creatures”.  
“Knowing you, you're still hungry. Do you need me to get you something?”  
“No, not yet”. Though they were starving, Eddie was tired, and he was lulling into the first good sleep he’s probably had in days. So Venom could wait.

Eddie woke up to his face being stroked by a little inky tendril, slowly caressing his cheek.   
“Hey”, he said softly, smiling as a tiny head emerged from his chest.  
“Hungry”, they replied.  
“Of course”.  
He rummaged through his near-empty fridge.  
“Sorry love, looks like all we have is Anne’s left-over casserole. But there are vegetables in it so I’m not sure if you’ll like it.   
“Love?”, Venom questioned.  
Eddie turned beet red.   
Did I really just say that out loud?  
“Yes you did”.  
Right, they can read my mind.  
“Ok so, um”, he stuttered.  
“You are nervous now”.  
“It’s complicated”.  
“That is what you called Annie”.  
“It is”, he didn’t know what else to say. He didn’t even realize he had called Venom that. God, how was he supposed to explain to his alien, human feelings like love?  
“Eddie?”  
“Yes?”  
“Food now?”  
“Yes”.  
Thank God Venom’s not pressing.   
“Let’s go to Mrs. Chen’s”.

Mrs. Chen was standing behind the counter, waving Eddie in.  
“Hey, Mrs. Chen”  
“You look terrible”, Mrs. Chen replied.   
He shook his head in a silent chuckle, bee-lining to the frozen food section of the little store.   
“Tater tots, right bud?”, Eddie asked.  
“Yes. And chocolate”.  
“Right, can’t forget the chocolate”.  
Eddie grabbed 2 bags of tater tots and 2 bars of discount milk chocolate and brought them up to the counter.  
“If you keep eating this shit you’re gonna have a heart attack”, Mrs. Chen said, beeping the objects.  
“Don’t get my hopes up”, he joked, grabbing the items.

“Better?”, asked Eddie, after they had eaten.  
“Yes. We like tater tots”.  
“What do you wanna do now?”, he asked, sitting on the couch, stroking the little head sitting on his shoulder.  
Venom didn’t answer. But Eddie could’ve sworn he could hear them purring.  
“Vee?”, he asked.  
The creature just sat there, eyes narrowed in comfort to little white slits, and purred.  
“We like this Eddie”.  
So that’s what they did. 

The dark of the night came quickly. They haven’t moved from their spot on the couch, Venom still wrapped around Eddie’s shoulders, and Eddie stroking their head. The panic from just hours before seemed so alien to him now. At some point, he switched on the TV. He learned that Venom liked the cooking shows.  
He chuckled as Venom commented on the state of the meat.  
“Why would they cook it?”, they said, “They’re ruining perfectly good meat. Even if it is dead”.   
“Humans can’t eat raw meat, babe”. The word just slipped out. He looked at Venom for any sign of discomfort, but Venom didn’t question it. He couldn’t help but like the name, it felt right.   
Venom nuzzled his head into the side of Eddie’s face.   
“Alright, I think it’s time for bed. It’s been a long day. Hell, it’s been a long few weeks”.

Eddie flopped into the welcoming nest of covers in his bed. When situated, Venom placed their head in the crook of Eddie’s neck. Eddie turned and lightly kissed Venom’s head, and rubbed his cheek against the silky black creature.   
“Goodnight love”.  
“Goodnight pussy”.  
“Oh I see how it is”, he chuckled and lightly whacked Venom with a pillow.   
As scary as it is to admit, he did love the parasite. “I’m not a parasite”.  
“Sure thing, sweetheart”.


	4. Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Venom's POV. More fluff and pet names. And a talk about what they mean

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Final chapter. I wrote this chapter literally today and didn't proofread so please be nice. Originally this fic was only going to be 3 chapters but I felt like it needed a better ending. I was so nervous to post but hope you guys enjoyed it

Eddie is a great host, but sometimes he can be very defensive and avoid talking about things. Venom didn’t mind, but humans have to talk about important things, otherwise, their emotions will build up, and eventually, they will snap. This causes tension between the human and those around them. This is true, Venom knew, they saw it in a movie once. And Eddie was avoiding talking about many things.

“Eddie?”, Venom asked.  
“Mmm”, Eddie said, distracted by his computer to properly respond.  
They didn’t want to pry, but they and Eddie have been getting closer recently. An experience Venom had always longed to have with a host, but it’s confusing all the same. Did Eddie mean to call him those names before, or was he just relieved?  
“What is love?”, Venom decided to ask. 

Of course, they knew it was an emotion. But what would it mean for them? Does Eddie now feel for them what he once felt for Anne? The thought made a pleasant tingle go through their form. 

“Um, well. Love is something you feel for someone you really care about”, he answered.  
Venom already knew this.  
“But what makes someone in love?”. They realized they were risking their closeness with Eddie by pressing, but they had to know. Did Eddie love them like they loved him? Or was it like the love they saw in his memories between friends?  
“Why are you asking this?”

Eddie is getting defensive again. They might as well just say it and get it over with. If their feelings for Eddie meant anything, Eddie would understand.  
“You were calling us names last night. Remember? Love”.  
Eddie froze. They had messed everything up, now Eddie would never call them those names again, and they really loved those names.  
“Yes I did call you that didn’t I”, he finally replied.  
Venom said nothing. They were too afraid to say the wrong thing.  
“What did you think about that?”  
“We thought it was nice”

Eddie’s heart was pumping really fast. And he was sweaty, not that that was unusual for Eddie.  
“You are nervous”. It wasn’t a question.  
“Yeah well”, he chuckled and ran a hand through his hair. Venom liked the sensation. “What do you expect? It’s not every day you find yourself merged with an otherworldly being, let alone… develop feelings for them”.  
Venom lit up. Feelings were good. Love was a feeling.  
“I don’t exactly know how to handle it. And I didn’t want to make you uncomfortable”.

Venom emerged from Eddie’s chest now, looking him straight in the eyes. If they were going to do it, it had to be done now, before they lost their nerve. Venom slid two tendrils behind Eddie’s head, and brought it forward, touching their lips together.  
Venom was afraid their teeth would get in the way and scare Eddie off, but he didn’t seem to mind, so Venom slid their tongue into his mouth like they saw in the movie. But this caused Eddie to make a weird sound.

“Too much baby. I have a small human mouth, gotta take it slow”, he said breathlessly.  
Venom caressed a tendril across his cheek in apology before slowly kissing him again. This time, only part of his tongue in Eddie’s mouth. This seemed to be better.  
When they parted, they only stared at each other for a while, not talking.  
Venom wanted to say it, but they were afraid that it would be too much for Eddie’s human mind to take in a day.  
“I love you, Venom”, Eddie said, still only inches from their face.  
“We love us too”, Venom replied.  
“Now come on babe, enough with the distractions, I have to get this article done by tomorrow”, Eddie said, turning back to his computer.  
Venom could tell Eddie was still nervous about calling them those things. They slunk back into their shared body. Eddie put a hand to where they were resting in their usual spot, in Eddie’s chest, and rubbed. Venom purred.

They could tell it was going to take Eddie a lot of getting used to, but they could wait. Because this, the two of them together, was a good thing.


End file.
